A Flame Never Dies
by Dragnerz
Summary: Oneshot short story. Follows the life of a Charizard, traveling alone, his family and friends gone, in a world with no one to depend on. Eventually though, he finds a new light. The question is, will it stay lit? corny summary :P


**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, obviously. Nor do I own any of the concepts, races, etc. presented in pokémon.**

* * *

A Flame Never Dies

Clear skies. Green Grass. Blue waters. A soft breeze rolling over the leaves of elderly trees. Flocks of Pidgeys and Pidgeotto's flew off in the distance, a pack of Mightyena's ran under the protection of the forest. The day was good, warmth from the sun heating the deep red on the back of a mighty Charizard, flying over the world with the beat of his wings.

Cyrell watched the Pokémon beneath him run and play as he soared freely past them. Closing his eyes, he let the wind guide him, gently angling his wings to follow the breeze. He'd often done this with his brothers and sisters, friends and family of late. The time they spent together, all the adventures they shared were memories which Cyrell cherished deeply, his only wish that he could have made more before...

He shook his head and opened his eyes again, quickly scanning over the ground to occupy his mind.

Spotting a small waterfall rolling off of a short cliff in the forest, he sighed and flew to land next to the glistening body of water, uniquely shaped as a rough heart. He landed and positioned himself next to the falling water, making sure his tail stayed a safe distance away, and brought his head underneath it. Opening his mouth, the cool water rushed down his throat, quenching his thirst. After a few seconds he was satisfied, and turned to prepare to take off.

A small group of Rattata's, maybe five, quivered in fear next to a tree, watching him. Most back away behind the tree, although still in view, leaving one left in the open. Cyrell slowly bent down, bringing his eyes in level with the Rattata's, and stayed still, locked in a motionless stare. The Rattata stared back, fear shaking his entire frame. Giving a sudden quick growl, Cyrell tensed the muscles in his body, claws digging into the earth as if he was about to attack. All five Pokémon jumped simultaneously and instantly ran away, squeaking very loud and very fast.

Smirking to himself, Cyrell took off again, leaving the limitations of the land for the free, endlessly open air. As the wind caught under his wings and brought him forward, the thrill of flight filled his body, as if all his worries and wounds were left behind with the family of Rattata's. The world around him dissolved into a soft, soothing blur as entered his 'sanctuary'.

A cry rose from the land and reached Cyrell, pulling him out of his tranquility. Annoyed, he searched for the cause of his disturbance, flying closer to the ground to get a closer view. Just in front of his path to the right, two Pokemon were locked in combat. No, three. A Venusaur, a Blastoise, and... a Charizard?

Cyrell flew closer to see what was going on. As he drew near, he noticed another entity in the fray. _A human?_

There was a human watching the fight, a young one, but still just as dangerous as any other. Meaning... one of these Pokémon were theirs. But which one? As he drew near, the cries of battle grew louder.

The Charizard roared in pain as the Venusaur rammed it to the ground. "Yeah! Good going, Venom!" The human cheered. Cyrell assumed it had named it Venom. "Okay, Iceburn, now finish it off with Hydro pump!" The Blastoise nodded and bent down, preparing itself as the two cannons hidden in it's shell revealed themselves. _What? But that's not fair!_ Cyrell thought, alarmed.

The Charizard tried to get out of the way, but two vines came out of the Venusaur, pinning it down. Struggling with all of it's might, the Charizard let out a cry for help as the Blastoise shot out it's water attack.

Flying with all of his speed possible, Cyrell managed to down and reach the Charizard in distress, grabbing it's arms and pulling it free from the vines, lifting it up just over the attack from Blastoise. He landed off to the side, not able to support both their weights for more than a few seconds, and turned to face the two Pokémon and their human master. Both Pokémon hesitated at the sudden turn of the battle, unsure of what to do. The human stared in amazement, then reached back into it's backpack, bringing out two Pokéballs.

"One Charizard is cool," the female human said. "But two are even better!" She shot out her hand and pointed at Cyrell and the injured Charizard. "Attack!!!" It screamed.

Both Pokémon nodded and took a step forward, determination strong in their eyes. Cyrell changed his stance to an offensive position, ready to fight off any attack these two could whip out. Fire tinged his heavy breath as he rang his voice out loud and powerful as a warning to them. "We mean you no harm," he said. "Just leave us be. We don't have to fight."

"You're right, we don't," Venom confidently replied. "If you would just let my trainer catch you, we can all be friends." The Blastoise stepped forward. "It's not so bad. Amy's a really nice person. I know we can get along with each other. There's no need to beat you down first."

The Charizard Cyrell had saved stepped forward next to him and tapped him on his shoulder, nodding. He could see now that it was a female, her skin a deeper shade of red than his. More confident now that they were evenly matched, Cyrell turned back to the two opposing Pokémon, the female copying his stance. "We're no one's pets." He simply said.

Venusaur jumped at them, letting out four Razor Leafs. The female flew out of the way, and Cyrell burnt them to a crisp.

"Then we'll just take you by force!" Iceburn yelled, bending down to let out another Hydro Pump. Cyrell rushed the water-turtle Pokémon, grabbing it's cannons on its back and forcing Blastoise upwards, the water harmless flinging into the air. Blastoise grabbed Cyrell's arm and yanked himself free, jumping back away from his grasp. Cyrell jumped and took air over him, releasing a wave of fire that sprayed into the Pokémons face. Continuing his flame, he flew over to the female Charizard and Venom.

The female had been wrestling with Venusaur, it's vines clamping her mouth shut, preventing her from igniting it. When she saw Cyrell coming, she flipped Venom onto it's side and held him down as the hot flames engulfed the susceptible grass-Pokémon. The female was about to let her own flame out, but a Pokéball flung past the two Charizards, hitting and absorbing their opponent.

The two Charizards heard a click behind them, and turned to see Blastoise, about to release another Hydro Pump. Before Cyrell could react, the female pushed him out of the way and jumped over the jet of water, flapping her wings to gain speed, and rammed herself into Iceburn. She began slashing it until he kicked her off, where she jumped up to take air and released her Fire Spin attack, greatly injuring it. Another Pokéball flew and absorbed the Blastoise, returning to the young human girl.

Amy fumbled putting away the Pokéballs, trying to find another to unleash against her foes, when Cyrell walked up to her. She stared in fear at the fire dragon, frozen. Cyrell let out a loud roar and she turned and bolted away as fast as she could, scampering up the hill as she stumbled over her feet.

Watching the helpless human run in terror amused Cyrell, and as the female landed next to him she let out a small chuckle as well.

"They really are quite pathetic without their _pets_, aren't they?" she mused. Cyrell nodded in agreement. "Hey, thanks for helping me back there. I don't know what I would have done if I'd been caught by _her_."

"Of course I helped you. Two against one isn't fair. And _nobody_ should have to be forced to serve those _humans_." Cyrell nodded at the human girl as she faded out of sight. Turning to face the female, he realized that she was already staring at him.

"Well, I suppose I should be going now." he said slowly. "Nice meeting you..." Cyrell began to turn away, but the female made a motion to stop him, an instantaneous wave of panic hitting and leaving her.

"Wait, I... Well, I don't even know the name of the male who saved me..." She looked down, as if embarrassed. Cyrell looked over her curiously.

"My mother named me Cyrell," he said. The female nodded slowly. "What is yours?"

"Luthia." She said, her deep voice ringing in his ears. "Luthia brightfire Although I do not know if it was my mother, or my father who had named me. I never had a chance to ask them myself..." her voice faded into a soft tune filled of sorrow as her head drooped down. Understanding, Cyrell bowed his head respectfully.

"I am sorry. I too know what it is like to lose a family..." Luthia looked up at him, her eyes growing in brightness. "You do?" Cyrell nodded.

"It happened a long time ago. I've been on my own ever since." Luthia nodded, and both fell silent, feeling each others pain.

"...Where have you been living, Cyrell?" she asked after a long moment. "I've never seen you around these parts before. Do you live close by?"

Cyrell shook his head, sighed and looked out into the sky. "I do not _live_ anywhere. I've spent the last however much time traveling, following the wind, making by on whatever I can find..."

Luthia put a claw on his shoulder. "Aw.. That's so sad...." After a second, she realized what she'd done and took back her claw, rubbing it with the other absently with embarrassment. After another moment, she looked up at Cyrell again. "So you do not have anywhere to stay?" He shook his head. Luthia walked over to face him, and after gaining his attention pointed to the east. "I have a cave not far from here. If you'd like, you're welcome to stay. It's the least I could do for you saving my life."

Cyrell thought this over. He didn't really feel comfortable taking up someone else's offer of hospitality. Although.. It'd been so long since he'd slept in a place that was safe, and suitable to be called a 'home'.....

"Actually... a place to stay would be wonderful..." he said, looking back at her after following her talon. Luthia's eyes lit up.

"Of course! Here, follow me." The female grabbed Cyrell's hand and opened her wings, gesturing him to do the same. They both soared high, Luthia's hand still grasping his as she led him to the cave which she called a home. Cyrell considered pulling away, but he was touched at the Charizards generosity and didn't want to make a mistake and offend her. Besides, he felt that he sort of liked the contact.

After a short period of flying, he saw the cave she had spoke of. It was on a mountain, not necessarily the largest he'd seen, but still sizable all the same. The mouth of the cave was very large, easily able to host a large family of Charizards, and then some. A stream of water, probably from somewhere deeper in the cave, made a small river that flowed out of the cave and fell into a small waterfall down the side or the rock. The edge extended to make small balcony, that overlooked a forest and a small pond, created from the waterfall. As Cyrell looked down, he realized that this was the same pond which he had drank from earlier, recognizing the unique shape.

Luthia landed first and quickly made her way to the stream of water. As Cyrell cautiously landed in the lip of the edge, Luthia finished and watched him as he followed her into the cave. Luthia turned and went a little deeper into the cave, where she stopped and bent down to let out a small jet of flames. She had placed a large pile of wood, whose newly ignited flames lit the cave, allowing him to see. Cyrell instantly noticed the large stockpile of collected berries and fruit at the back of the cave, and a large, round mat of grasses and leaves, making a bed.

Luthia turned to face the male, smiling. "Well? Welcome to my home." She said happily. Cyrell stood still, taking in the surroundings. After a few seconds, Luthia walked over and grabbed his claws. "Don't just stand there; come in!" Luthia dragged the male deeper into her home, and pushed him to sit on the edge bed she'd made. She continued over to the back of the cave. "Would you like something to eat?" she asked.

Cyrell shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm alright." Luthia grabbed an apple from the pile and turned to show him.

"Are you sure? I just picked all of these yesterday..." She took a bite and began to chew it, swallowing it after a moment. Cyrell was ready to refuse again, saying he wasn't hungry, but the aroma of the fruit reached him, causing his stomach to contradict his claim.

Instead, he said "Well... It has actually been a while since I've eaten something..."

Without another word, she grabbed an apple and threw it to him, beginning to walk back. Cyrell caught it effortlessly within his three claws, and bit into the red fruit, juices pouring down his face. Luthia giggled as he wiped the apple off of him, embarrassed.

"The fruits here are all very juicy," she said through short bursts of giggles.

"Yes... I can see that... thank you though."

"Of course. You're my guest."

_Guest. _Cyrell sighed. "What's wrong?" Luthia asked, worried. He shook his head.

"Nothing. It's just... well, it's been so long since I've talked to another Charizard. Or anyone else for that matter.

She nodded. "I know what you mean. You're the first Charizard I've seen in years. It seems were becoming more and more scarce every day; I was beginning to think that I was the last one free." Cyrell nodded; he'd felt the same way too, and was still in belief that most of the rest had been captured. "Even still, though," she continued. "I've been making by with friends and communication."

"How?" asked Cyrell.

As if to answer his question, he heard a small abundance of scattering noises coming from the entrance. Turning, he saw five small Rattata's scampering inside.

"Luthia! Luthia!" the said in unison. "We heard noises." "Terrible noises!" "We heard them from where you went berry picking." "Are you alright?" "What happened Luthi-"

The Rattata's froze instantly as soon as they saw Cyrell, and he realized that they were the same five Rattata's he'd frightened earlier. Luthia raised up and gestured to him.

"There's no need to be afraid, little friends. This is my new friend, Cyrell!" she said, happily and truthfully. _Friend..._ The word had seemed so unfamiliar with him until now, as what she said sunk in. "Cyrell helped me. The noises you heard were that of two mean Pokémon from a human who were trying to capture me. But Cyrell came to my rescue and saved me! So there's no need to be afraid."

None of the Rattata's dared to move a muscle, and Cyrell shook his head. "I think I'm the one to blame for their frightfulness." He bent down a little to look directly into their eyes. "I am sorry, little Rattata's, for frightening you earlier today. I should not have done that, and I apologize for my rudeness. I never really meant you any harm at all."

The smallest one of the group of five stepped out, and walked slowly to the Charizard. "If... if you are a friend of Cyrell... Then I trust you." One by one the rest of the group relaxed, and in a matter of minutes they were climbing over Cyrell, just as they were to Luthia. He resisted the urge to shake them off, knowing they meant him no harm, and they were friends of Luthia.

"Thank you for saving Luthia," they sang. "Cyrell the great defender!" "Hurrah for Cyrell!"

After the Rattata's stopped cheering and climbed back to the ground, Luthia talked to the small rat Pokémon for a short time. She explained what happened in more detail, and how he'd be staying the night there. After five minutes, the Rattata's all said they had to get going and left, chirpy and happy.

"Those little guys are so cute," she said afterwards.

"They certainly are quite eccentric," he said.

Luthia laughed. "Yes, they definitely are. I've befriended most of the Pokémon who live around here," she explained. "They're all really nice and friendly."

"It must be really nice to live here," Cyrell said. Luthia 'Mmm'd in response. He looked at Luthia, who stared back at him, happiness in her eyes. "It really is nice to have somewhere to sleep, and to be with someone else, you know." Luthia nodded, and giggled a bit. "It's my pleasure," she said.

A sudden yawn overtook Cyrell as small sparks of flames escaped his throat. He hadn't realized until now how weary the battle had made him. As if agreeing with him, Luthia yawned too. "Oh, you must be very tired." She stood up, and started for the exit. She stopped and turned, gesturing at the bed "You can go get some sleep, I'll go find some more grass to make another bed for me to sleep in."

This made Cyrell feel uncomfortable. "No, don't do that. I don't want to take you away from your bed. I don't mind if we both share the bed. Of if not I can sleep next to the fire on the ground. I don't mind."

Shaking her head, she said "No, I won't make you sleep on the floor. But..." she looked at the bed. "If you really don't mind, I suppose we could share the bed..." Cyrell climbed deeper on the bed of grass and rolled onto the left half, resting his head on the extra padding for pillows. Luthia followed him and laid down on the opposite side, looking at him.

"Good night Cyrell. Thank you so much for saving me," she said, slowly closing her eyes.

"Good night to you too, Luthia. You don't know how much your hospitality means to me." Luthia hummed as she drifted into sleep.

Cyrell closed his eyes and rolled onto his back. So much had happened in this one day than most of the days that occupied his life recently. And for the first time in such a long time, he felt something he'd forgotten about. A feeling that he thought he'd lost forever. He felt like he was home, like he belonged, like he was safe. And, even more than that, he'd found a friend, someone that he felt drawn to trusting more and more. He'd only just met this female, and yet he already felt himself becoming attached to her.

Luthia, still asleep, rolled over to the left, her body coming in contact with Cyrell's. Caught in a confusing and awkward position, Cyrell didn't know how to react. He considered rolling away.. but instead, he gently put his arm over her, to which she gently hugged onto. He sighed, all of his suspicions being instantly proven true.

_But that's alright_, he thought to himself. _Maybe I've finally found somewhere that I can stay and rest. At least for a little while....._

* * *

Sunlight broke through the thinner membrane of skin, waking the experience-aged Charizard. Groaning he he slowly stretched up, arching his back and flexing his sleep-stiff wings, his hands and arms going high above his head. After outstretching his neck, he yawned and looked around him, almost forgetting where he was. The fire from last night had long died out over the hours passed, but the sun provided enough warmth for him and....

"Luthia?" he called. The she-Charizard was nowhere to be seen. For a second, he panicked. But then realized she was probably out picking more fruit and berries.

"Speaking of fruit...." Turning to face the large stockpile at the back, he got up and went to go scavenge for food. Most of what he found he was not familiar with; strange large fruits with weird shapes and odd colors, berries with many thorns, or completely black. A select few he identified right off the back, and in a matter of a minute he'd collected a sizable serving of Oran, Hondew, Jaboca, and Micle berries. He sat down and began to eat.

After thoroughly enjoying his fresh breakfast, he walked out to the edge of the cave. Spreading his wings, he glided down to the base of the mountain, where the waterfall and pond where. Repeating his actions from the day before, Cyrell quenched his thirst under the falls.

"It's nice here, isn't it?" A familiar voice came from behind him. Cyrell turned and smiled.

"Yes. I haven't been this comfortable in years. No wonder you've stayed here." Luthia giggled and placed down her basket of todays harvesting. Cyrell could see Leppa berries dominating most of the top of the basket, with a few unfamiliar ones peaking out between them.

"So, I was thinking that I should probably show you around here. Are you interested?" she asked. Cyrell nodded and continued to drink. Luthia came up next to him and did the same, there tails touching. After another minute, Luthia broke off and grabbed her basket. She made a quick signal to follow her, and flew back up to her hidden cave. Cyrell followed after a second, and when he reached her, she'd already put her basket down, patiently waiting for him.

"Shall we go then?" she asked politely.

Cyrell nodded quickly. "Yes, lets," he replied happily. The two opened wings and soared out of the cave, quickly rising high above the world and catching the breeze. For a minute they enjoyed the peace, the two of them blissfully flying together, free with no boundaries. Luthia tapped Cyrell on the shoulder and pointed down to a large rock.

"That's Big Rock." she told him.

"Yes, that _is_ a big rock."

She shook her head. "No no, it's _called _Big Rock" she corrected.

"What? Well, that's kind of silly... not really creative either," Cyrell observed, crossing his arms.

Luthia sighed in frustration. "Many centuries ago, there was a great battle here with the legendary Pokémon Regigigas, and the legendary Pokémon Groudon-"

"And let me guess; their attacks were so powerful that when they clashed, that rock was formed?"

Luthia shook her head again. "No, silly. The legend is that, as the two fought, the world around them fell apart into chaos as they caused more and more destruction. Finally, a beautiful goddess-Pokémon came down and stopped the two, ending the torment and chaos as she reverted the land to it's original figure. She created a testament of a large monument, as a promise that the two would never fight again. Over the years it'd broken down, and has turned to the state you see here, but there are still some inscriptions on one of the sides, that read 'Here lies my promise. That as long as I stand, I shall protect you from chaos." She edged closer to Cyrell in the air and whispered in his ear. "Some say, when you make a wish while your hands are on it, it will come true."

"Hmm..." Cyrell looked down at it again with wonder at the new light of information revolving around it. Before long, Luthia tugged at him and pointed in a new direction.

"See that hill over there?" What she was referring too was a large, highly raised mound, almost like a mountain, with steep, rounded sides at either poles, that ran all the way down to ground level. The mound was completely covered with lush green grass and an abundance of flowers. Luthia laughed and flew down the top of the hill suddenly, pushing away a surprised Cyrell. He got his bearings and chased Luthia down. As she landed at the very top, Cyrell rammed into her, throwing both of them down the right side. The two tangled Charizards rolled quickly down the hill, laughing and play fighting as the world spun around them.

Finally they reached the bottom and they both rolled to a stop on their backs, panting through their laughs.

Luthia sat up after a minute of catching her breath. "That is _so _much more fun with someone else," she was able to say, before breaking into another burst of laughs. Cyrell crawled over to her and tried to calm down.

"Yeah, that was amazing," he exclaimed.

After they both subsided and the fits of laughing halted, the two both sat up and stared at each other.

"Luthia, I..." Cyrell began. He paused to find better words, Luthia waiting patiently, her bright eyes glowing. "I haven't been so happy or felt so alive in the longest time," he started. "But now here, with you, I feel so at home, so at peace."

She nodded in agreement. "Despite my other Pokémon friends, I've been so alone. All until you came and saved me yesterday."

The two stayed silent for a moment, thinking their own, yet entwining thoughts.

"I think I'd really like it if I could stay here... at least for a while..." Luthia blinked. "Would it be okay if I stayed with you for a while? At least until I find a suitable home."

"_Would it be okay_?!" She echoed suddenly. "You can live with me permanently!" Luthia blinked again and shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed. "I mean... Of course it would be okay. You are welcome to stay with me as long as you like." She barred her teeth to smile, and Cyrell laughed.

The two conversed there for well over an hour, playing and talking in the same area next to the hill. They laughed and shared, rested and fought, all through the day. As the sun began to make it's descent over the horizon, threatening clouds loomed from the distance, their presence gradually becoming nearer.

As the last reminiscence of the flaring sun lowered to an orange dull, a boom echoed through the forest.

"We should really be getting home," Luthia warned. Home... _I have a home,_ Cyrell thought happily.

As they began to scale up the hill, in no real hurry to end the day, trudging feet could be heard on the other side near the peak of the mountain. Both Charizards raised into alert as they noticed this, and froze defensively as the figure rose into sight.

A tall, teen human male stood above them, one hand placed on his belt.

He took that hand and pointed at the two Charizards staring back at him. "You two," his voice boomed as it traveled down to them. "Are you the ones who hurt my sisters Pokémon yesterday?"

Neither Luthia nor Cyrell moved, let alone answer his question. A smaller figure came out from behind the boy, clinging on to his waist. Cyrell recognized her as the girl from yesterday. Amy pointed and began sobbing slightly. "Those are the ones, Trevor!" she told him through tears. "Those are the Charizards who hurt poor Venom!"

The boy stared the two down menacingly. Cyrell and Luthia exchanged glances, and prepared themselves for another fight. They were confident that they'd be able to overthrow whatever Pokémon this boy could throw out at them.

"You're going to pay for what you two did.," is all he said. He raised his hand in a fist straight above his head, and a loud, ferocious roar that the two Charizards felt through their bones boomed from behind the hill. A large, four horned head flew out behind the hill and the boy, followed by a long, snake-like body, and both Luthia and Cyrell flinched simultaneously.

Lines of yellow rings ran down the body of the deep green serpent Pokémon, along with multiple sets of four, rudder-like wings lined with red. As it circled it's master and stared down at the two red dragon Pokémon, it clenched its fists on it's only two limbs. The large yellow circlet glowed as it's eyes glowed red in anger, teeth baring.

"These are them?" the deep, powerful voice asked.

"Yes," the boy nodded.

"Do you wish to capture them?"

Shaking his head, the boy responded "No. These two deserve to be punished."

Rayquaza nodded his large head. "Very well."

Panic washed over Cyrell and Luthia. They both turned and quickly began to fly away. Rayquaza swiftly soared past between the two, the two Charizards falling out of sheer shock. In a matter of seconds he had blocked off the path to their home, displaying it's great speed.

"Do you recall the Venusaur you fought with yesterday?" It asked. Luthia trembled, and couldn't choke out an answer. Cyrell tried, but all he could manage was a weak nod.

"The humans are operating on him as we speak. His injuries are very grave. They do not think he will make it."

"But we didn't mean that to happen!" Luthia suddenly shouted out. "The Venusaur and Blastoise were both battling me, and Cyrell came and saved me. We were only trying to survive!"

The great Pokémon nodded. "It is one thing to save one another." His wise voice shook through the two Charizards. "But such a thing is unacceptable at the cost of another, innocent life. Venom was only carrying out the wishes of his beloved master. There was no need to kill him!_"_

"We were only trying to avoid capture," Cyrell said calmly.

Rayquaza let out another ferocious roar. "Venom was a kind, wonderful Pokémon! He was considerate, generous, kind, and a good friend. You had no right to take his life!" The angered Rayquaza rose high above the ground, and fell back down at the two, eyes baring with anger. "And now you will pay!"

The two Charizards dodged to either side as Rayquaza swept past them, tearing up the ground as he flew by. As horror struck the two, they quickly spread their wings and began to fly as fast as the could, trying to get into the thick forest, where they could hide and possibly escape. Rayquaza was far too fast for them, however, and quickly doubled back and took down Luthia. Cyrell turned as he heard her scream in pain and shock, and quickly flew down to save her, letting out a white-hot Flamethrower as he flew along the Rayquaza's body to reach it's hand. It turned on it's back and swung a punch at him, but Cyrell dodged underneath and grabbed onto Luthia, Biting into the hand which grasped her.

Rayquaza let go in pain and swatted both Charizards, sending them plummeting to the ground. They both crashed with a hard thud around Big Rock.

Cyrell shook his head in pain and looked up to see Rayquaza, shaking his hand in pain from the bite. He heard Luthia moaned behind him, and turned to see her trying to get up. Cyrell helped her and they both hid behind Big Rock.

"What are we going to do?!" asked Cyrell in a frenzy. "There's no way we can fight _Rayquaza_!"

Luthia sighed, a tone of sadness clinging in her breath. She closed her eyes and put her hands on the stone, slowly. "I pray thee, goddess of this land," she whispered. "Please protect our souls and spirits, so that we may live to undo our wrongs, and bring happiness to those who wish it."

Cyrell looked at her in shock. He went to the edge and peaked his head out. Rayquaza was flying around, looking for the two. He rushed over to Luthia and began tugging on her arm.

"Come on Luthia, we have to run, NOW!"

The two heard a roar from behind them, and slowly turned to see Rayquaza's eyes drilling into them. "Enough of this!" He boomed. He flew back, and opened his mouth, a ball of light appearing to charge up, growing in size. Luthia turned to Cyrell and hugged him hard. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Rayquaza released a powerful Hyper beam a fraction of a second later, and Luthia pushed Cyrell away with all her might, sending him flying into a nearby rock formation.

The beam hit Cyrell straight on, and went right through the Big Rock, sending large pieces of rock scattering everywhere Cyrell watched in horror as the light overtook Luthia. He began to scream, when a large rock fell on him, knocking him unconscious

* * *

Cyrell opened his heavy eyes, confusing overtaking him. He tried to get up, but found himself unable. His vision was impaired, his head a throbbing blur. He tried to open his mouth, but found it too painful. Footsteps. Heavy breathing Voices. Cyrell strained to listen to the noise.

"..................................making such a mess."

"I dealt with them didn't I?"

"I suppose so...... Hey, where's the male? I see the female's body here, but..."

"There's no way he could have survived that. I assure you, he's gone. Perhaps his body flew off somewhere?"

"It doesn't matter. What's done is done. Good job, Rayquaza."

The deeper voice sighed. "I just wish that Venom could be here to see his revenge...."

"He knows... wherever his spirit rests now, I know he's content"

Cyrell heard some rustling sounds, and then a loud whoosh of air, followed by small little pecks on the ground. Female body? Cyrell couldn't rack his mind to make any sense of what they were saying. Who where they talking about. Him? Was he supposed to be dead? If he was, then who was the other..? The only other he remembered being with last was-

"Luthia!" Cyrell screamed and tried to get up, failing. He put both hands on the rock above him, and using all of his might he pushed as hard as he could. Newfound energy surged through him, and slowly he lifted the rock, pushing it over to the side. The rain drenched his body as Cyrell scrambled out and ran to where they had just been standing behind Big Rock, his memory returning to him. Only Big Rock was gone.

What was once a magnificent ancient testament now laid in small rubble, scattered across the land. Only a small crater marked where the monument had stood Cyrell began searching through the rubble, turning stones and quickly making his way all over the area. In a matter of a minute, he found what he was looking for.

Luthia laid sprawled on the floor among the rubble, bloody and weak, her fire just a dimming ember. Cyrell bent down and slowly lifted her head, sobbing as she released a weak groan. Twisting his tail around hers, he brought it under his body to protect it.

"Cyrell.....?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"Yes, Luthia. I'm here. Just... just hold on. I'm going to go find you help."

Luthia just barely squeezed her hand. "No, don't.... it's okay..."

"No it's not okay, Luthia. If we don't get help, you're... you're...." She shushed him and tried to sit up, groaning in immense pain. Cyrell bent down further and hugged her, tears streaming down his face.

"Don't leave me..." he whispered.

"I'm sorry....... You just have to live life.... for both of us now." She gave him a weak, loving smile, sending Cyrell off in another spasm.

"Don't say that," he managed through the sobs. Luthia shushed him again, slowly running her claw along his face.

"I will never leave you in spirit... Cyrell.... knowing you has been.. the greatest light of my life... even if.. it was only for a while." Cyrell cradled her head in his arms now, crying his heart out.

"Me too, Luthia...."

Luthia took two of her claws and placed them on her lips, then pushed them onto Cyrell's. "I love you... brave Cyrell. Don't ever...... give up......."

"I.... I love you too... Luthia.........."

As the last bit of ember burnt out on the tip of Luthia's long tail, Cyrell gently placed her head on the ground, still crying. He cried for Luthia's death, he cried for the cruelty of life and he cried for himself.

"It's not fair!!" he roared into the water-filled sky. Everyone in his life had disappeared. His parents. His brothers and sisters. His friends. His entire clan. And now the world had taken away the love of his life. He curled up into a ball as the weight of reality crushed him, and cried, not caring that the rain slowly extinguished his flame.

After rain began to let up, and slowly small rays of sunlight broke through the thick clouds. As Cyrell looked up, he could see one illuminating the body of the once-lively, beautiful Charizard. He picked himself up, slowly, and looked down at her frail body, wiping the tears from his face.

_She was right....._ he thought. He needed to live, for both of them now. Picking up her body, he made his way to the small crater of Big Rock. Gently placing her inside, he gave her a small, yet loving kiss on her forehead, before beginning to cover her body with all the bits of rock. He piled them until there was a large mound where the crater once was.

_Life must go on_ he thought, sad yet strong. _She may be gone... but I take her spirit with me, and together we will live on._ Sighing to himself, he looked down to see he missed a rock; a large, flat slab. He picked it up and looked at it, turning it over in his claws to inspect it. Taking one claw, he began to inscribe letters into words on the slab.

He placed it on the very bottom of the pile, slanted upwards, and then stood back to look at it as a whole. Nodding slightly, he opened his wings and took air, yet he circled back and began to circle the mound. Opening his wide jaws, he began to let out a continuous stream of white-hot Flamethrower.

He spent maybe twenty minutes at this, but he was able to head every bit, all the way through. The rocks began to melt together to create a lower, smooth plate of rock. As it cooled off and hardened, Cyrell flew around above it and, lowering one claw, carved a large symbol of a sun, with a pair of wings.

Satisfied, Cyrell took flight, roaring and letting out a final jet of flames. He felt new, alive and reborn. Meeting Luthia had changed him, even though it was only the day before he'd met her. He felt stronger, both mentally and physically. The love of his life had gone, but a new day was before him, and although her fire had burnt out, the flame of a spirit never dies.

Cyrell rose high into the sky, the breeze picking him up gently with it's caring embrace, and he fell back into the only peaceful, reliable sanctuary of his life. But with a new, brightly lit flame, his old self left behind in the place he'd almost found a home. His life might have grown a little bit darker, but the horizon was looking brighter than ever.

...........

"_**Here lies Charizard, Luthia Brightfire. Kind, loving guardian of the forest. May her spirit rest peacefully for all eternity."**_

**The End.**

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Oh boy, Authors notes. Where to begin...

First off, I want to make it clear that this story has **absolutely** nothing to do with any previous storyline. Not the Anime's, not a manga's, not a novel or anything. This is placed in some alternate reality, or another continent... call it what you like, it's up to you really. Although the races of pokemon I didn't create, I DID create Cyrell, Luthia, Amy and Trevor, Venom and Iceburn. Also, this is the only intended chapter for this story.

Why did I write this fanfiction? I dunno.

........ xD Seriously. I was laying in bed a week before I published this, trying to sleep. And this idea came into my head about Charizards and such. So, started to write things down, and now we have this! :) This actually took a while.. I stopped working on my other fan fic's for this, but for a good reason! Wel... I got really sick :( So beware reading this: readers may catch my cold xD But now that it's done I can relax and work on my other fanfictions as usual ^^

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, compliments, arguments, or anything at all, leave a review and I'll try to clear things up, thank you, explain, or argue back ^^ I've never read or looked at the Pokémon fan fictions on here before this; this story is totally off the top of my head. So if there is already something like this up here... Well, blame the... whatever the theory is called that involves things eventually repeating itself. I'm sure that exists. Right? Right.

****~But DO PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!

I really really REALLY want feedback on this thing xD Did anyone like this? was this just stupid? Tell me!

To some, I know it could seem kind of strange that I would want to do a pokemon fanfiction, but I like pokemon, honestly. Not so much the anime anymore.. But the concept is cool. and the games are enjoyable... If you wait a few years before you play another game.

Anyways, I hope this story was enjoyable. again, please review. I'd appreciate it. If you have any suggestions or anything on how I could improve this story, tell me!! It can only improve my writing skills ;D

Laters all!

~Dragnerz


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